The Lead
As the Broncos head into the second half of the season, their victory over Jacksonville in Week 8 had a substantial impact on the season's outlook. Instead of falling to 2-6, Denver now sits at 3-5 with a chance to make a playoff push.
Inside linebacker Josey Jewell sat down with CBS4’s Romi Bean on Monday to discuss the Broncos' mindset as they approach the final nine games, and Jewell emphasized the importance of the win over the Jaguars as they entered the bye week.
"It was a great momentum booster for us," Jewell said. "We needed that win; we had a couple losses in a row there, and a win going into the bye week kept that good energy going. Everybody wants to keep on working hard. Today was a great day, just another foundation step, stepping forward and getting the Titans stuff in, getting a little head start on them. Everybody's feeling great."
With several tough opponents coming up — including four more matchups against AFC West opponents — Jewell told Bean that despite the defense's early success, there is still a lot they need to improve on for the team to make a run.
"[We] always can be better," Jewell said. "We're still looking for our best game — every week we are — and November and December is when you want to play some of your best football, so we're striving for that and we'll see what happens. But [we] definitely want to get better every week, every month here, and hopefully end it on a high note."
The Broncos' offense is starting to put the pieces together after a strong performance against Jacksonville, and Jewell noted that he was impressed with what he saw from Russell Wilson and the entire offense in Week 8. Both sides of the ball will need to play well through the final nine games, and Jewell has confidence that the offense can reach a new level in the second half.
"[I saw] a great rhythm," Jewell said. "... Russ did a great job controlling the game a little bit, and that's what's to be expected. He's a great quarterback, this offense has a lot of weapons, so we're excited for what they can do, and I think they're going to do great things. You've just got to be patient with some things, and [there are] a lot of new pieces, a lot of different stuff, so we're all excited."
Below the Fold
Pat Surtain II has been one of the top cornerbacks in the league through the first half of the season, and ESPN named the second-year star the Broncos' non-quarterback MVP so far in 2022.
"Earlier this season, Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey called Surtain 'phenomenal' and added, 'He's doing things now, with his approach and his technique, I really didn't do until my fourth or fifth year,'" ESPN's Jeff Legwold wrote. "Surtain has been a key player for the league's No. 2 scoring defense. He routinely matches up with the opponents' best receivers and is consistently avoided by opposing quarterbacks. He has been a bright spot."
